Lionsgate Promotes Kevin Beggs to Chairman of TV Division

TORONTO — Kevin Beggs has been promoted to chairman of the Lionsgate Television Group, as the indie studio continues to diversify away from film and builds to major Hollywood status.

Beggs has signed a new five-year contract with the mini-major, which includes a promotion, it was announced at Lionsgate’s annual shareholders meeting Tuesday.

Beggs will continue to oversee development and production of all scripted and nonscripted programming after his success with Mad Men, Weeds, Nurse Jackie, Anger Management and Netflix’s breakout show Orange Is the New Black.

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He joined Lionsgate in 1998 and has guided TV business growth from $8 million in revenue in 2000 to nearly $400 million last year.

Beggs will also keep reporting to Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer, who said at the meeting that his studio may be headed to major status on the strength of franchises like The Hunger Games and Twilight.

But Lionsgate won’t change its culture to get there, he insisted.

“We like the way we’ve been doing things,” Feltheimer told The Hollywood Reporter after his formal remarks at the meeting.

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Feltheimer said Lionsgate will continue pursuing audiences on devices and platforms of their own choosing, rather than dictating how content should be consumed, as is often the way in Hollywood.

“There’s no question that you have to customize your business to the prevailing way that people consume content and not force them onto devices that you want them on,” he said.

That was a theme echoed by Lionsgate vice-chairman Michael Burns, who told the investors meeting that returning value to shareholders was his priority, not losing the company culture to attain major status.